IN WHAT WAY CAN DEBATES BE MADE HELPFUL TO THE RELIGIO?

EBATES, when properly conducted, and in accordance with the spirit of the Religio's design, have for their object the bringing forth of the best evidences that can be gathered in support of both sides of worthy propositions or subjects, for the benefit of the society's members, bers, with a view to the education of all.

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When a member is chosen to affirm or negate a proposition, it should be because he is considered capable and willing to serve the society in collating, preparing, and presenting the evidences available in support of the side of the proposition assigned him. The consciousness of this becomes an inspiration which stimulates him to enter the field of nature, revelation, science, art, music, or literature in quest of that which he needs in his work. Impelled also by an honorable desire to excel in his task, and conscious that what he presents will be subjected to an immediate and perhaps severe arraignment in the light of evidence and argument from his opponent, he is influenced to study the strong points in opposition and to fortify his position more thoroughly, in anticipation of this. All of this has the effect of sharpening his wits and broadening his comprehension.

Debate, on the platform, demands rapid thought and ready command of faculties in following the lines of opposition, estimating the strength, merit, and directness of points adduced, selecting the really important ones, which may alone be answered in the limit of time allotted, and in selecting and mustering from your array of accumulated matter the most salient and effective portions with which to continue and maintain your affirmation or strengthen your denial. This is decidedly stimulating and helpful in desirable directions, and, of course, is educational.

Debates of the character referred to herein, being not for the simple purpose of mastery, may be educational in another line, namely, in the development of that quality of honor which, where recognizing the merit or superiority or unanswerableness of an antagonist's position or argument, in part or as a whole, will

frankly confess it immediatley. I do not mean by this that a position or statement is proven true simply because I may not have the material or ability to overthrow it; for the truth has doubtless suffered often in the hands of exponents or defenders who, from unfaithfulness or incompetency, have not been able to support it. Others may take my place and demonstrate what I have miserably failed to maintain; but even the acknowledgment of this fact when confronted with argument that we are incapable of controverting, though quite mortifying to the flesh, is nevertheless an evidence of honor and manliness and should be cultivated. If this principle is taught and observed in our Religio debates it will greatly help in developing a quality of soul that will lift us all high in the realm of sainthood.

It sometimes requires more courage to acknowledge defeat than to gain a conquest. There is always a royal victory in such a frank acknowledgment of defeat-a victory over self. If the Religio should prove a good training-school in this line, it has done an excellent work.

Debate, bringing, as it does, into direct clash the intellectual, mental, and literary accomplishments of the contestants, is an epitome of matter, method, and skill, and has an attractiveness that does not always attach to essays or ex-parte discourses or writings, and the interest felt by the Religio in both the contestants and the subject under discussion is intensified as the elements that enter the discussion bump against each other, and bound and rebound during the fray, scattering dust and emitting sparks as the fray grows warmer. Meanwhile the volumes of acquired information, thus concentrated and submitted to a test of their real value when in conflict with adverse declarations, make a more vivid impression upon the minds of the auditors than when otherwise presented or studied, and all are entertained and profited by this process of education.

Frivolous subjects, or those which are immaterial to the wellbeing of the society or its members, should never be selected; but those which lead out into any field where we may retain the Spirit in our exploration will prove healthful to our morals and beneficial to our minds. The handling of the material gathered (if only for purposes of investigation) whether finally retained or discarded will result in the confirmation of our former views or their exchange for better ones, and parties on either side of the controversy are made better by the comparison.

Very much more might be added after longer thought upon the subject, but these few ideas strike me as helping to answer the question, "In what way can debate become helpful to the Religio." INDEPENDENCE, Missouri. ALMA C. LUFF.

HOME DEPARTMENT.

We are given to understand that the home department of the Religio is for those that are too busy, too feeble, or too aged to attend the regular meetings of the local. It is to those that come

under the head of being "too busy" that this paper is intended. We presume that they are the parents of small children, and their family cares are such that they can not possibly attend the local.

There are two institutions that in my opinion come before the Religio; and they are the church and the home. The home, if presided over by Christian, God-fearing parents, is the greatest factor in the world. No parent should leave his child to receive his spiritual education from a stranger.

"The education of a child begins with life, and the period in life when the most is learned is the first seven years.' By the time a child is old enough to attend the Religio his nature is fixed. "The influence of the home, whether conscious or unconscious, is an atmosphere which he breathes continually. Its principles, its examples, its aims all have constant effect upon him." When the child becomes older the parents must counteract the evil influences "of bad companions and associates in the day school, and the one school in which we are all scholars-the school of the street. There the child sees the gilded sign of the saloon, the illuminated advertisements of the theater, the pictures in the news-stands. They hear the oaths of the street. To every growing youth the

education of the street must be reckoned with."

Do not leave this work for the Sunday-school or Religio teacher. They have your child but one hour of the week; you have him every day. You have received the God-given right to educate and develop one of those that God created in his own image and declared good. How have you prepared yourself for this work? You say that you are too busy to attend Religio and learn those things which you are desirous that your child should know. Then, if you can not come to us, we will come to you. The home department is intended for all like you; we want to reach out our arms and assist you; we want to store your mind with those wonderful truths of the gospel that are contained in the three books, that you might impart that knowledge to those in your care, that your child's spiritual nature may be developed. When your child is old enough to attend Religio, we want you to study the lesson with him, and to attend when you can. We want this great army of Saints, old and young, the ones that are "busy" and the ones not so busy, to stand shoulder to shoulder in this grand "Onward and Upward" march. The invitation is given to you. Come and be one with us, and we will do you good. MRS. M. A. ETZENHOUSER.

*Quotations taken from Hurlbut's Revised Normal Lessons.

NORMAL LESSONS ON THE BOOK OF MORMON.

LESSON III.

The Secular Institutions of the Book of Mormon.

1. Forms of government, and laws.

a. The Jaredite nation had a monarchial form of government, with the peculiarity of the younger son succeeding to the throne. b. The laws of the Jaredites were liberal, providing for religious

liberty, and security of property. But tyranny and usurpation were very frequent. (Ether 3: 10.)

c. The Nephites were governed by the kings, or Nephies, from the time of Lehi to the time of Mosiah II, a period of five hundred and nine years.

d. The laws of the Nephite kingdom were very liberal, and underwent a gradual development until the days of Mosiah II, who codified the laws in a sort of constitution. They provided personal freedom, religious liberty, and property rights. The laws punished offenders and were executed very strictly. (Jacob 1:3; Jarom 1:3; Mosiah 1:7.)

e. After the days of Mosiah II, the Nephites were governed by judges, under the laws of Mosiah, in a kind of republic.

f. The laws of the judges provided that the rulers should be chosen by the voice of the people for life or during good behavior. There was no congress or council to share the government with the judges, but the right of petition of the people was respected, touching any change in the law. The chief judge took oath of office to support the right and liberty of the people, complete religious liberty was granted, slavery was prohibited, punishment for murder, treason, or sedition, was by death, and for lesser offences by imprisonment. The chief judge was subject to trial or impeachment by a number of subordinate judges, and the subordinate judges were tried before the chief judge. (Mosiah 1:7; 13; Alma 1:7; 5:1; 16: 2; 23: 1.)

g. The republic, under the government of the judges, fell apart about A. D. 30, and was succeeded by a loose confederacy.

h. The provisions of the confederacy guaranteed religious liberty, prevented the establishment of a kingdom, and prohibited civil war. (Nephi 3:5, 6.)

i. Under the law of Mosiah, weights and measures, and money values were established uniform in the land; of these we have data relative to the money, which is as follows: The standard of value was a measure of barley or other grain (Alma 8:8), or which was the value of a gold senine, and the wages of a judge on the bench for a day's service.

SILVER.

2 leahs make one shiblon.

Lesser Coins.

GOLD.

2 senines make one seon.

2 sninblums make one shiblon. 2 seons make one shum.

2 shiblons make one senum.

2 senums make one amnor.

2 amnors make one ezrom.

An onti the value of them all.

A limnah the value of them all (7 senines).
Greater Coins.

3 shiblons of silver the value of an antion
of gold.

A senum of silver was equal in value to a senine of gold.

2. Chronology and the Nephite year.

a. The Jaredites seem to have counted their time from the accession of each king, being so many years of the reign of the king.

b. The Nephites reckoned their time from the "time Lehi left

Jerusalem," which was 600 B. C., until the beginning of the reign of the judges, 91 B. C. (2 Nephi 4:5; Mosiah 4:2; 13: 7.)

c. From the seating of the first chief judge, the time was reckoned as, "the first, the fifth, or the thirtieth year of the reign of the judges," for one hundred years, or until nine years after the birth of Christ. (Alma 1: 1; 2: 1; Nephi 1: 1, 8.)

d. Nine years after the sign of the birth of Christ, the Nephites began to count their time from the "sign of the coming of Christ," and this order was continued until the close of the record A. D. 421. (Nephi 1:8; 2: 1; 4: 2; Nephi the Son 1: 1, 11; Moroni 10: 1.)

e. The Nephite year was evidently modeled after the Jewish year, as in use before the captivity, and was, probably, a solar year of twelve or thirteen lunar months of twenty-nine or thirty days. In the time of Christ, the year began in April. No names of months are given, following the usage of the early Jewish historian by calling the number of the month as the first, third, or eleventh month. (Omni 1: 10; Alma 21: 34; 24; Nephi 4: 2.)

f. The Jewish year consisted of twelve or thirteen lunar months. The beginning of the sacred year was reckoned from the moon after the vernal equinox; the following table will show the arrangement:

13th. Intercalary month, between February and April, every third year, to

complete the year.

QUESTIONS.

What is said of the Jaredite government and laws? How were the Nephites governed during the first part of their history? What is said of the early laws? What form of government was had during the reign of the judges? Mention the principal provisions of the laws under the judges. What form of government succeeded the judges? What did this provide against? What can you say of the weights, measures, and money? Give the table of money values. In what way did the Jaredites reckon the time? From what event did the Nephites begin to count time? What change was subsequently made? What other change was adopted later? What is said of the Nephite year? How did the Jews reckon their year?

NOTES FROM THE FIELD.

On my way to North Dakota reunion I held three meetings in Sioux City, Iowa, July 7, 8, and 9, the latter being on my forty-sixth birthday. Though the weather was hot, and attendance rather light, we had very interesting meetings. The attendance would doubtless have been better had my letter notifying them of my